Health Analytics Connect

10/22/2026

If Claims Data Are So Useful, Why Is It Still So Hard to Get?

An interesting finding in KFF's newly released 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey caught our attention. Among employers with 200 or more workers, only 52% said claims data were very or somewhat easy to obtain. Yet among those that had obtained claims data, 95% said the information was at least somewhat helpful in making benefits decisions.

That's quite a contrast, particularly when you consider how much employers spend on healthcare and how many are directly responsible for paying their employees' claims.

Of course, getting the data is only part of the challenge. Employers also need to understand what they've received, whether the information is complete and current, and how to use it alongside pharmacy, eligibility, and other benefits data. Having access to reports doesn't necessarily mean having the information or understanding needed to make good decisions.

And that raises another issue. Not everyone responsible for benefits decisions has a background in healthcare analytics. They may know their benefits programs inside and out but have had little formal training in how claims data are structured, what the numbers represent, or how to interpret the results.

At Health Analytics Connect, we're working on both sides of that challenge. InHouseIQ℠ helps employers bring their healthcare data together and gain greater control over how it's used. Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠ helps the people working with that information understand it, ask better questions, and get more value from their analytics.

For those interested in strengthening their healthcare analytics skills, we're currently offering Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠ for $750 through November 15 (regularly $999).

Learn more about the training:
https://www.healthanalyticsconnect.com/healthcare-analytics-foundations-training

KFF 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey:
https://www.kff.org/health-costs/2026-employer-health-benefits-survey/

10/21/2026

The Data Loaded Successfully. But Is It Right?

Just because healthcare data passes technical checks and loads into a system doesn't mean it's ready to use. The information may be incomplete, codes may be mapped incorrectly, or the data may be too old to answer the questions being asked. What's concerning is that the resulting reports can look perfectly reasonable, even when something isn't quite right.

A recent discussion at the NCQA Innovation Summit highlighted this challenge. It's a good reminder that moving data into a system is only part of the job. Understanding what the data represents and knowing what to question are just as important.

At Health Analytics Connect, we approach this from both sides. IngestIQ℠ helps prepare and validate healthcare data for analysis, while Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠ helps professionals better understand the information they're working with.

We're also offering special introductory pricing for Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠: $750 through November 15, 2026, compared with the regular price of $999.

Learn more: https://www.healthanalyticsconnect.com/healthcare-analytics-foundations-training

Healthcare Analytics Foundations provides practical training to help teams build internal healthcare analytics capability and strengthen analytic ownership.

10/19/2026

Ever looked at a healthcare report and wondered what’s really driving the numbers?

Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠ is our self-paced online training for people who work with healthcare data or rely on it to make decisions. You’ll learn what you’re looking at, what to ask, and where the numbers can mislead you. You don’t need to be an analyst.

Introductory price of $750 through November 15, 2026. Know someone who’d find it useful? Feel free to share.

https://www.healthanalyticsconnect.com/healthcare-analytics-foundations-training

10/02/2026

Mary Henderson and Joulan Wu spent yesterday in Dallas representing Health Analytics Connect at the World 50 Employer Benefits Accelerator Roundtable, where they had the opportunity to share InHouseIQ℠ and spend the day talking with others in the employer benefits community. They wrapped things up at the reception and caught up with Borislava Manojlovic from Red Cell Partners. It’s always good to get away from the screens, see familiar faces and meet some new ones. Thanks to the World 50 Accelerator team for having us and for a great day in Dallas!

10/01/2026

Healthcare Analytics Foundations — A 50% Increase!

A 50% increase sounds pretty dramatic. But before reacting to it, I’d want to know what actually increased. Going from 2 cases to 3 is a 50% increase. Going from 200 cases to 300 is also a 50% increase. The percentage is exactly the same, but the story behind it is very different. Percent change is useful, especially when we’re looking at trends, but percentages without the underlying numbers can make a change look much more or less significant than it really is. Population size, frequency and the starting point all matter.

It’s a simple example, but an important reminder that understanding the number usually requires a little context. That’s one of the skills we focus on in Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠.

09/30/2026

Mary Henderson and Joulan Wu are on their way to Dallas today for the World 50 Employer Benefits Accelerator Roundtable. Tomorrow they'll be presenting InHouseIQ℠ and, just as importantly, spending the day listening and talking with employer benefits leaders about the challenges they're facing with healthcare data and analytics. A lot of work has gone into preparing for tomorrow. We're excited to see where the conversations lead. Safe travels, Mary and Joulan!

09/30/2026

Off the Record — Where Is the Real Gap?

When healthcare analytics aren’t giving you what you need, it’s easy to assume the problem is technology. Sometimes it is. But sometimes the real gap is somewhere else entirely. Maybe the data isn’t complete or reliable. Maybe different people are using different definitions. Maybe the methodology doesn’t fit the question being asked. Or perhaps the tools are perfectly capable, but the organization doesn’t have the time, expertise or process needed to turn the information into something useful. Before investing in another solution, it’s worth spending some time figuring out where the problem actually is. Better technology won’t fix a data problem, just as more data won’t necessarily fix a methodology problem.

Finding the real gap was one of the ideas that emerged from our Off the Record work, and it’s a useful place to start before deciding what comes next.

09/29/2026

Imagine If… Your Streaming Service Recommended Everything

Imagine opening your favorite streaming service and finding that every movie and show had been recommended just for you. At that point, the recommendation wouldn't be particularly helpful. Healthcare analytics can have a similar problem. If every trend is highlighted, every metric is important and every change deserves attention, it becomes difficult to know where to focus. Good analytics shouldn't just give us more things to look at. They should help us understand what matters, what may need attention and where it makes sense to investigate further.

Sometimes the value isn't in having more information. It's in knowing what deserves your attention.

09/25/2026

Healthcare Analytics Foundations — Why Don’t These Reports Match?

You have two reports that are supposed to be showing the same thing, but the numbers don’t match. It’s tempting to assume one of them must be wrong. But there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation. One report could be using paid claims while another uses incurred claims. The time periods may be slightly different. Pharmacy costs might be included in one but not the other, or the populations and definitions may not be the same. Before deciding there’s a data problem, it helps to understand exactly what each report is measuring and how it was calculated. Two different answers don’t always mean one is wrong. Sometimes they’re simply answering slightly different questions.

It’s one of those basic healthcare analytics concepts that can save an enormous amount of time and confusion, and it’s something we cover in Healthcare Analytics Foundations℠.

09/23/2026

We’re heading back to 50 Accelerator, this time in Dallas. Health Analytics Connect has been selected to present InHouseIQ℠ at the Fall 2026 Employer Benefits Accelerator Roundtable on October 1. We’ll be talking about a challenge we hear often from employers: there’s no shortage of healthcare data, but getting that data connected and turning it into information people can actually use is another matter. We’re looking forward to sharing what we’ve been building, hearing what’s on the minds of benefits leaders, and being part of the conversation again.